Bryan Stow, Injured Giants Fan, Returns Home To Santa Cruz

SANTA CRUZ -- Ending two years of medical care at facilities around California, San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow recently returned to Santa Cruz.

Stow, a 44-year-old former paramedic, was attacked outside Dodger Stadium in March 2011. He has been treated for a severe brain injury in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose and most recently at the Centre for Neuro Skills in Bakersfield, his family said.

The Stows' insurance company determined full-time care was no longer needed, so it ceased payments for the Bakersfield center and Stow came home in early May, said Bonnie Stow, his sister.

Bryan Stow is now living at his parents' home in Santa Cruz.

"It's been really nice having him home, but he's not getting as much therapy as he's used to, so physically he's taken a step back," she said in an interview Wednesday.

She said the transition was more difficult than they anticipated. Bonnie and Ann Stow, Bryan's mother, explained the situation in a June 6 post on their blog at www.support4BryanStow.com. "We had to hire caregivers in order to help Bryan to get up and showered in the morning, and get dressed and in bed in the evening. We are now the ones administrating his medical care, scheduling all his appointments and preparing all his meals. We are not complaining," the Stows wrote. "We have Bryan home!"

They wrote that Bryan "could have benefited greatly" by staying at the Centre for Nuero Skills longer.

"At first look and during conversations, Bryan appears to be doing better, cognitively," they wrote.

"But to be with him as much as we are, we see what others don't: the memory problems, the use of words that do not belong, the pain he is in and the stiffness in his body that prevents him from being able to do things on his own."

Bonnie said in an interview that Bryan went from having therapy four hours a day, five days a week to having 30 hours of insurance-covered therapy per year.

"Due to a huge cut in therapy coverage, Bryan has physically experienced a big setback. We do what we can at home, but he needs the five days a week (of therapy) that he grew accustomed to. We just don't know how to get that for him," the Stows wrote.

Stow had attended the opening day Giants-Dodgers game when two men attacked him in the parking lot at Dodger's Stadium, prosecutors said.

Criminal and civil cases are ongoing.

In a June 2012 preliminary hearing, 31-year-old Marvin Norwood and 30-year-old Louie Sanchez, both of Rialto, were held to answer to charges of felony battery with serious bodily injury and felony assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury.

Sanchez also is accused of inflicting great bodily injury on Stow. A trial date has not been set.

Stow's family also is pursuing a civil lawsuit against former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and some of the team entities.

Los Angeles Superior Judge Abraham Khan has set an Aug. 27 trial date in the civil case, which includes claims of assault, battery, negligence, premises liability, negligent hiring and both intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

Stow's family said they appreciated their supporters.

"Your support, love and prayers have gotten Bryan (and us!) this far, and we can't thank you enough," they wrote.

MediaNews' Los Angeles News Group contributed to this report. Follow Sentinel reporter Stephen Baxter at Twitter.com/sbaxter_sc

HOW TO HELP

Donations to help Bryan Stow can be made at www.support4BryanStow.com.

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